RARE photos were vital clues that led to the arrest and conviction of murderer Joseph Byrne who had viciously killed typist Stephanie Baird in 1959.

RARE photos were vital clues that led to the arrest and conviction of murderer Joseph Byrne who had viciously killed typist Stephanie Baird in 1959.

Gloucester-born Sydney Stephanie Baird, known as Stephanie was a typist living at a women’s-only hostel in Edgbaston.

The 29-year-old’s death was described as one of the most horrific police officers had investigated and led to the biggest manhunt in Birmingham.

Byrne had brutally stabbed and decapitated his victim on December 23, leaving behind a string of evidence – both purposefully and unintentionally that brought him to justice.

David Cross, curator at the West Midlands Police Museum, said Stephanie’s murder was an early example of how police worked with the press to ensure maximum coverage for a case.

He said: “Senior police officers realised that the press and media, including television, were to play an important part in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.

“As a result by 11pm that evening the whole of the country had been given details of the crime through the medium of radio and television.

“During the time of the investigation regular press conferences were held at 11am – for the evening edition of a paper – and 6pm – for morning editions.”

Incident headquarters were set up in the old Speedwell Road police station, with additional telephone lines installed and extra staff brought in to handle the large volume of calls from the public.

How was the callous killer caught?

A large amount of evidence was found at the crime scene. Blood stains were found outside the bedroom window Stephanie was discovered in and on the light switch in the communal laundry room.

Footprints were also found outside the window, plaster casts were made of the size 10 or 11 footprints and later the shoes were identified as being made by George Ward Ltd Barwell, Leicestershire.

Byrne had left an envelope with a message scrawled on it in biro, which read: “this was the thing I thought would never come”.

The 28-year-old labourer from Warrington was initially interviewed by police in the northern town. He had been lodging at premises close to the YWCA Stephanie lived in. In the initial house-to-house enquires with 20,000 people living nearby, Byrne had said he returned home to Warrington on December 23. But later enquiries found he had gone drinking in Birmingham that night and not left the city until the 24th.

Detectives established his movements on the night of December 23 and took fingerprints for elimination purposes.

With no warning Byrne suddenly stated that he was involved, he was cautioned and made what transpired to be an early admission of his involvement in the murder.

He told cops something about the murder scene that had not been given to the press.

When he was returned to Birmingham, Byrne was asked to draw the murder scene just as he left it. He did and admitted leaving the note at the scene. He was asked to provide a sample of his writing which he did, this was sent away for analysis. It matched the note left at the crime scene.

The shoes were found behind the passenger seat of a Birmingham City Council dust cart where they had been put by a dustman and forgotten. They too matched the prints of those left at the crime scene.

Jurors on the murder trial took just seven hours to find Byrne guilty. He appealed the conviction due to his state of mind, which was upheld and the verdict of manslaughter was given instead.